Envelopes are usually of a single container type; that is, having a front and back with bonded side and bottom edges, but there are some applications in which it is desirable to have a double pocket envelope. As an example, hospitals prefer to use double double pocket envelopes for maintaining the X-rays and records of a patient. Typically, the X-rays are kept in one pocket of the envelope and the patient's records in the other. In this way, the X-rays and records are maintained together in one envelope but are separated so as not to interfere with each other.
Several companies manufacture double pocket envelopes. A typical arrangement includes manufacturing an envelope of the standard design and cutting a slot in the front. A divider is cemented to the rear surface of the front portion above the slot to provide a divided envelope forming the required two compartments. While this procedure is satisfactory in providing a multi-compartment envelope, it is rather time consuming and expensive in that it requires two completely separate sheets of paper which have to be handled for orientation and cementing.
The present invention is directed toward a method of manufacturing a double pocket envelope utilizing a single sheet of paper. The method is advantageous in that it is less time consuming and, therefore, more economical to manufacture. In addition, since the envelopes are manufactured from single sheets of paper, the apparatus necessary to manufacture the envelope is easier to construct, and uniformity is achieved since there is no requirement of accurately aligning separate sheets of paper for cementing operations.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a double compartment envelope and, particularly, a method of manufacturing the envelope utilizing a single sheet of paper.
Still more particularly, an object of this invention is to provide a method of forming a double pocket envelope utilizing a single sheet of paper including the steps of folding, cementing, and cutting the paper in such a way that the entire double pocket envelope is formed of a single sheet of paper.
These general objects as well as other and more specific objects of the invention will be fulfilled in the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.